Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force

Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force:

Subcommittees

 * Transportation

Co-Chairs

 * Glenn Vaad (R-CO), Public Sector Chair


 * Emory Wilkerson (Lead Counsel/Managing Attorney, State Farm Insurance), Private Sector Chair

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the largest seller of auto insurance in the U.S. It also sells property/casualty, home and life insurance. State Farm is also in the banking business with State Farm Bank offering financial products through State Farm agents, according to its Hoovers profile. It had a net income in 2010 of $1.8 billion, up from $777 million in 2009. Its CEO, Ed Rust, made $10.2 million in the same year. Open Secrets' latest information about State Farm is from 2008. That year, State Farm gave a combined total of $4.1 million in federal and state political contributions.

Executive Committee

 * Neil Alldredge (Vice President of State and Regulatory Affairs Division for the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC)), Co-Chair, Transportation Subcommittee

"Alldredge directs state legislative and strategic state advocacy activities for NAMIC in all 50 states. In addition, Mr. Alldredge represents NAMIC member companies at the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL); . . . and on the board of the Insurance Education Council. Mr. Alldredge is also the lead representative on the insurance scoring issue for NAMIC member companies. He participated in the drafting of the NCOIL model law and has provided testimony to legislatures in several states and at the NAIC.

"Before joining NAMIC, Mr. Alldredge spent five years with the Indiana state Senate, where he served in a dual role as director of planning and research and executive director of the Senate Majority Campaign Committee."


 * Jamie Clark (American Bank Association)


 * Ed Conklin (Senior Director of government relations for McDonald's Corp.), Chairman

Conklin lobbies in "the U.S and the Caribbean. He also helps develop government relations capacities in Brazil. Ed’s duties include direct lobbying, managing contract lobbyists, developing and guiding coalitions, representing the system’s public policy interests in trade groups, managing McDonald’s owner/operator state PACs, maintaining ongoing communications with McDonald’s U.S. headquarters offices, division, and regional offices, and owner/perators, and developing and managing strategic plans and budgets. In addition, he is responsible for the development, training, and activation of McDonald’s grassroots owner/operator network."

Before joining McDonald's in 1992, Conklin worked for ten years as Director of Public Affairs for Jones Intercable’s Midwestern operations and Operations Manager and Director of Marketing for the company.

Conklin is a member of the Council of State Governments and the State Government Affairs Council. He also works closely with the leadership of the International Franchise Association, GMA, the National Restaurant Association, the National Council of Chain Restaurants and its state affiliates, and the National Retail Federation.


 * Bill Primeaux (Manager of Government Affairs, FedEx)

Primeaux is registered as a lobbyist for FedEx in New York City, the state of Texas, and in Louisiana prior to December 31, 2009.


 * Ted Scott (Director of Special Projects at the American Trucking Association (ATA)), Co-Chair, Transportation Subcommittee

Before joining the ATA, Scott was Director of Government Relations for Roadway Express and YRC Worldwide. He has also been Director of Highway Operations at the ATA.

Previously, Scott was an officer in the U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers for 24 years and was assigned at one point to the Office of the Chief of Engineers at the Pentagon.


 * Pat Thomas (United Parcel Service (UPS))

Corporate, Trade or Other Group Members

 * Eli Lehrer (National Director, Center on Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate of the Heartland Institute), Advisor


 * Dr. Adrian Moore (Vice President of Policy at the Reason Foundation), Advisor


 * International Franchise Association (IFA)


 * Maquarie Capital Advisors USA Inc.


 * Cintra USA (Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte, one of the largest private developers of transport infrastructure in the world)

Politician Members

 * Susan Lynn (R-TN), Former Public Sector Chair


 * Dawn Pettengill (R-IA)


 * Ron Richard (R-MO)


 * Susan Krebs (R-MD)

Staff

 * Courtney O'Brien, Director and former Legislative Assistant<American Legislative Exchange Council


 * Michael Hough, Former Director <American Legislative Exchange Council Michael Hough, organization bio, accessed May 26, 2011


 * Stephen Elzinga, Research Assistant